Fresh crude oil shipment restores production at Bangladesh’s only state-owned refinery
CHATTOGRAM May 8, 2026 — Eastern Refinery Limited has resumed production after a 26-day shutdown caused by a shortage of crude oil reserves, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The refinery’s main plant restarted operations at 8:00 am following the arrival of a fresh crude oil shipment, according to Managing Director Sharif Hasnat.
The refinery had suspended operations on April 12 after crude stocks were exhausted amid disruptions linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East. The previous shipment had arrived on February 18.
Production resumed after the arrival of the vessel MT Ninemia, which delivered 100,000 tonnes of crude oil through the Kutubdia Channel, bypassing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Due to the vessel’s large size, the crude oil is being transferred to smaller tankers through lightering operations before being transported to the refinery in Patenga.
Officials also said another tanker, MT Fossil, has been sent to load an additional 100,000 tonnes of crude oil from Fujairah. The vessel is expected to arrive on May 9.
Meanwhile, another shipment carrying 100,000 tonnes of crude oil aboard the vessel Nordics Pollux remains stranded at Ras Tanura Port due to shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Eastern Refinery processes around 1.5 million tonnes of crude oil annually, supplying nearly 20% of Bangladesh’s fuel demand. The remaining demand is largely met through imports of refined petroleum products.
Diesel remains the country’s most widely consumed fuel, followed by furnace oil, petrol, octane, kerosene, and aviation fuel. In the 2024–25 fiscal year, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation sold more than 6.8 million tonnes of fuel nationwide.
